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Program coordinator vs project manager

The differences between program coordinators and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $45,068 average annual salary of a program coordinator.

The top three skills for a program coordinator include customer service, patients and social work. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Program coordinator vs project manager overview

Program CoordinatorProject Manager
Yearly salary$45,068$91,578
Hourly rate$21.67$44.03
Growth rate12%8%
Number of jobs102,464167,116
Job satisfaction54.17
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4347
Years of experience12-

What does a program coordinator do?

Program coordinators are mid-level employees who are assigned to work on a program of a specific department. They handle the communications between their department and any other department that they may need to collaborate with. They coordinate action plans and activities to ensure that the departments are aligned. They are present during the planning stage for the program so that they will be familiar with action items. They are directly involved in the implementation by liaising with the involved departments. Program coordinators should have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organization skills.

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Program coordinator vs project manager salary

Program coordinators and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Program CoordinatorProject Manager
Average salary$45,068$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $63,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaThe Citadel
Best paying industryGovernmentTechnology

Differences between program coordinator and project manager education

There are a few differences between a program coordinator and a project manager in terms of educational background:

Program CoordinatorProject Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Program coordinator vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between program coordinators' and project managers' demographics:

Program CoordinatorProject Manager
Average age4347
Gender ratioMale, 28.8% Female, 71.2%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%10%

Differences between program coordinator and project manager duties and responsibilities

Program coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage all medical records and client information without HIPAA violation.
  • Develop a syllabus, maintain an assignment schedule, and manage course records.
  • Manage operations and administer an outpatient diabetes management program for adults by MD referral.
  • Perform community outreach to Medi-Cal recipients, via public speaking, flyers, wellness fairs, and practice manager meetings.
  • Submit monthly claims for reimbursement to USDA.
  • Review and process CME applications for ACCME approval.
  • Show more

Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
  • Show more

Program coordinator vs project manager skills

Common program coordinator skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Patients, 9%
  • Social Work, 6%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Mental Health, 4%
  • Excellent Organizational, 4%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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